


In Another Life

by Frostwells



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, Alternate Timeline, Alternate Universe - Canon, Caitlin is a smol child, Caitlin-centric, Dreams, Earth-1 parallel, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship, deserves the best, post 02x23
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-10 13:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6987541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostwells/pseuds/Frostwells
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With Barry alternating the timeline, Team Flash never came to be, STAR Labs was never built, and Caitlin never became a doctor. Then why does she dream of this alternate universe where danger lurked in every corner, powered humans roamed the city and meeting people that she clearly never met?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So Barry fucked up again. Disappointed with his decision to save Nora. So this fic will be about the new timeline, one where they all lead different lives. Caitlin-centric fic. Because y'know, snowells. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE FLASH  
> CLAIMER: I OWN ALL MY GRAMMAR MISTAKES.

Dreams. There is no sure definition of it. Some say it can defined as a series of thoughts, feelings, visions or feelings that occurs when the host is asleep. It can be an idea or thought that is created that is simply imaginary. Others say a dream is something a person’s utmost secretive desires. But for Caitlin Snow, none of these are adequate descriptions of what could be defined as her dreams.

There were times where she’d dream of people whom she never met before. She’d remember the colour of their eyes, the structure of their frame – every single detail. Other times, it would be events or a scene that was so vivid, she could remember the smallest detail to the bone.

It never happened to Caitlin before. She would dream like every other person; personal experiences, food, random scenarios – but nothing so calculated before. It seemed that tonight wasn’t going to be any different.

Caitlin could feel herself drifting slowly into the world of dreams, where time seemed infinite. She felt the familiar weight on her chest as she allowed herself to relax, the vision in her eyes dancing black until all light disappeared, her breathing labored.

From a distance, she could see herself standing in a lab somewhere, wearing a lab coat. Or was it a doctor’s coat? It all looked the same to her. There was a wide console containing multiple desktops near the entryway of the place, laced with intricate machinery. The walls appeared to be grey, perhaps a metal of sorts. Transparent, glassed windows divided the smaller rooms from the main. Caitlin became more visible and she could see her brown locks straightened as opposed to her natural flowy curls. 

It felt foreign seeing herself from a third person point of view.

Caitlin could feel that she’s angry. Frustrated. Her body language portrays that too; hips cocked to one side, foot tapping impatiently, a hand resting on her waist. Then a young gentleman comes into view, with unruly brown locks and a stunning build. He looked to be around her age, if not younger, clad in … red leather? In the center of his chest lay a yellow thunderbolt emblem.

_Was he cosplaying something?_ Caitlin fleetingly thought. She can suddenly hear the familiar rising of her shrill voice, effectively yelling at the poor boy. Caitlin and the boy winced simultaneously.

“God knows what’s going inside your body!” she hears herself shout. She can feel the anger and fear continue to well up in her body. “Your cells are in a constant state of flux! You could be experiencing cardiopulmonary failure or transient ischemic attack!”

_Constant state of what?_

The boy looked chastened as he looked over to his right in confusion, seeking help. Both Caitlins turned their heads to see another unfamiliar man, clearly older than the pair with neatly kept dark hair and shaven face, seated in a wheelchair. He translated her “science talk” humorously.

“Mini-stroke.” The older man answered, clearly amused as the display. “Probably not.”

The man clad in red leather seemed to understand but still clearly baffled by the sophisticated medical terms Caitlin just threw at him.

Caitlin doesn’t blame him. She barely understood a single word she just said herself. Well, Dream!Caitlin said. This can’t be her. Caitlin wasn’t smart and certainly not a doctor of any sort. She dropped out of medical school simply because she found it difficult, which made it boring. She also didn’t know anyone who was in a wheelchair let alone being friends with extremely attractive men.

The scene before her faded into oblivion before being presented with another dream. It was dark out, the sound of rain hitting the metal roof, thunder rumbling in the distance. Was she inside? Her sense of smell was hit with a strong aroma of burgers and fries. The blurry image became clear and she realized she was inside with a van.

She turned her head to see the man in the wheelchair enthusiastically eating a burger. When he caught her looking at him, he swallowed before smiling and offering her his fries. He didn’t wait for a wait for a response as he took a handful and ate them at once before licking his fingers clean.

“No, thanks.” she answered, a little skeptical of this stranger beside her. She surprised herself by the freedom of speech. It seems like she’s back in her own body.

She focused her gaze on this strange man. For some reason, he hit her as the type of those dominant, sophisticated men like in her world. From her last dream with him, it was apparent that everyone respected him; he was the alpha male. Yet, here he was, happily eating his burgers and fries without a care in the world. As if he was truly comfortably around her.

“Do you remember what I told you on your first day of STAR Labs?” he asked, breaking the awkward tension between them. Or perhaps it was just her that was feeling awkward. She wanted to tell him that she doesn’t; that she doesn’t even know who he is. Yet, she could feel herself swell up with pride and happiness as Dream!Caitlin took over her body once again and answered happily.

They talked about more people Caitlin didn’t recognize – Martin, Barry, Clarissa but the one name that she felt impacted her the most was this Ronnie person. Was he important to her? He must be if she felt a pang of pain swell up in her chest just by hearing his name alone. They talked about the concept of home, how it was being someone who you loved. As the man finished his speech, he looked directly at her, his blue eyes blazing in the dark. Both Caitlin and Dream!Caitlin felt their cheeks flame and their throats dry as they are unable to look away.

She tried to swallow but was unable to focus on anything else but the intense smolder of the man’s eyes behind his black frames.

“Dr. Wells…” she heard herself whisper. His blue eyes blazed when he heard her say his name. He leant in closer to her.

Before anything else happened, Caitlin was pulled out of the dream and back into the land of the living. She lay on her bed, heavily breathing, her clock alarm buzzing noisily in the background as she tried to make out what the fuck she dreamt.

Who exactly were those people? Who was this mysterious Dr. Wells? Were they from her past life?

She violently hit the snooze button on her snowman clock before shoving her face into the pillows, hoping to reconnect with her dreams. Once she realized she was fully awake, she hit let out a groan of frustration and threw her pillow across the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Two years have come and gone since Caitlin began documenting all of these dreams in a tattered notebook of hers, each one marking a date. Every time she recorded a dream, she would reread each section and hope that they would make a connection of some sort; hoping that her dream would occur in chronological order. She flipped to the very beginning of her journal.

 

_02/07/14_

_Dear Journal,_

_I decided to document this strange dream I had, in case it might be of importance. It was a bright day. A little chilly out, but still a good day. I remembered that I was feeling excited, giddy, in away. Perhaps marking a special occasion?_

_I found myself in a laboratory surrounded by people dressed in the similar lab coat, but all with formal dress attire underneath, myself included. A man –Dr. Wells is what people called him –seemed to be celebrating something, since he kept making speeches. He poured me a bottle of champagne and made toast. I don’t remember what._

_I do remember feeling extremely happy as I held my left hand up for him to inspect, a ring glittering on my ring finger. I assumed I was married? It wasn’t him whom I was married too, for a man – Ronald, Raymond, Ricky, I can’t remember – came to my side and kissed me, a similar band on his finger._

_I saw the liquid in the champagne suddenly rise up, defying gravity. I know, it’s silly but that’s what I saw. Then chaos ensued around me as I felt an explosion go off beneath our very feet. Fear wracked my body. My fiancé and Dr. Wells were trying to get me to safety, (but I was being stupid and didn’t want to leave. All because I didn’t want to leave my future husband in danger. I must be pretty stupid in this dream). I tried running, but even if I was in my own body, I couldn’t leave._

_Next thing I remember I was in some hospital, waiting for someone. I didn’t know who. I remember feeling humiliated, worried, and angry. It felt like I lost everything._

_I wanted to know what happened next, but my body decided that it had acquired sufficient rest and dragged me out of my dream. Perhaps when I fall asleep again tonight, I might dream the next part. I know dreams don’t work that way, but it doesn’t hurt to hope. Oh, I also did research on a man named Dr. Wells and there IS one, BUT he’s not the man. He and the man in my dreams (I can’t word that better at the moment) have the uncanny resemblance but it’s definitely not him. This one lived in Starling City all his life and rarely set foot in Central City. Don’t ask how I know they are not the same; I just know._

_Well, that’s all for now,_

_Caitlin Snow_

* * *

 

Caitlin swore all these dreams she had in the past two years were indeed memories. Why? She doesn’t know. Usually, one can tell the difference between dream and reality but all these dreams felt like they were memories that she experienced herself. She was always afraid that she would forget how the people in her dreams would look like so she would always sketch out a person’s profile.

Every time she reread an entry, she would remember new memories or sensations like smells, emotions or even physical touches. It bothered her but she believes that she’s not crazy. Well, on a psychological level that is.

Caitlin sifted through the book until she ended up on a brand new, blank page. She grabbed a pencil a jotted down her latest memory (she refuses to call them dreams anymore).

 

_05/10/16_

_Dear Journal,_

_Once again, my dreams never failed to change. As I reflect upon my previous “dreams”, it all seems real. Cisco Ramon, Barry Allen…Harrison Wells; I have felt an emotional connection to each and every one of these people. Although, that can be considered a delusion since these are not “real” people in a sense. Just a figment of my imagination. But I swear on my life that these dreams are indeed memories that I have experienced in a previous life. How else can I explain my undying loyalty and love that I felt and displayed for this “Team Flash” in my dreams?_

_How else can I explain this sad feeling in my chest when Harry left us to return to Earth-2? I loved him –that much is apparent. I loved my Dr. Well and I loved his doppelganger. I certainly never loved anyone before, let alone fell in love. Yet, from these memories, I knew what love is. What a home was._

_Harry’s embrace was warm, and I felt myself clutching tightly onto his jacket._

_"You're a tremendous scientist. But you are even a better person."_

_Why would my brain make up something that I’m clearly not? I am no scientist. I’m just a dropout. But when this man said those two sentences, it felt like my world was torn apart yet I felt renewed – as if his belief in me was enough to do anything. At the same time, how could I let go of Wells again?_

_I woke up with tears running down my face, my heart aching as if it’s been pierced (exaggeration, of course. It’s just…shitty how I can love a man whom I never met)._

_He saved me countless times, both physically and mentally. He protected me from Zoom and worried for me. If that is not love, then consider me damned._

_I wish one day, even in my dreams, I could have one conversation with Harry as myself._

_That’s all,_

_Caitlin Snow_

* * *

 

 

Droplets of tears stained her pages as Caitlin harshly wiped them away from her brown eyes with the back of her sleeve. Two years had passed and yet, she can’t find herself to live in this reality. Not when the reality of her dreams seemed so much more pleasant. Living in a world full of power people – _metahumans_ , Caitlin reminded herself – and being a biochemist seemed preferably to the life she has now.

Dull, boring Central City.

Caitlin worked as a receptionist in a small clinic, earning enough money to pass her by. She could always move away from here, but she felt this city was the closest thing she has to what’s left of her family and her dreams. She could’ve worked hard to become the doctor she dreamed off, but with her brother, Charlie, dead and her mother a deadweight, she couldn’t financially handle herself let alone find any motivation to.

“Miss Snow, I need you to file these for me,” a baritone voice said from behind. She quickly slammed her notebook shut and meekly took the files. She looked up and a familiar face stared right back at her.

“You got it, boss.”

In her alternate memories, he would’ve been called, “Henry Allen.” But in reality, this doctor was named Henry Garrick. Almost like Jay Garrick from Earth-3.

She encountered familiar faces, such as Dr. Garrick’s son, Bartholomew – or Bart for short. Caitlin remembers when she first met the man, she accidently called him Barry, which earned a laugh from him, saying only his mother called him that. She’s never been more embarrassed.

She quickly filed the documents and finished a few more errands before the ending the day. By the time she finished, the orange hue in the clouds mixed with a shade of indigo was now replaced with the dark, starry sky, grey clouds occasionally covering the bright, creamy moon. The moon's faint glow passed through them, coloring them white from grey. The streets of the city now rested again in lifeless silence except the gentle pattering of the raindrops. 

Caitlin lifted her hood and began trekking home, the sound of her heels clacking on the stoned walkway echoing in the distance. After a few minutes passed, she couldn’t help but feel a nagging feeling in her gut that she was being watched. Maybe being followed too. She quickened her pace but the feeling didn’t escape her. She turned her head around only to darkness in the distance, yellow lampposts and lights from houses illuminating the dim way. She wanted to call out to see if anyone was there, but it was stupid and she watched too many horror movies that it’s always cliché that she would be met with silence. It was better if she saved her breath.

Unbeknownst to the brunette, a figure lurked behind her from a safe distance, blending in with the darkness and trees.


	3. Chapter 3

For the first time in the past two years, Caitlin didn’t dream. Well, people say you always dream, but sometimes you just don’t remember it. But for Caitlin, she didn’t _dream._ She had no new dreams, or reoccurring ones. Just a state of pure darkness. She woke up in a state of minor panic as she struggled to remember if she did dream but the only thing she could vaguely remember was relaxing on Barry’s sofa with Cisco and the West family. That’s it. Everything else was dark, and that worried Caitlin.

It went on for a few more days, and Caitlin began to feel more frantic. She needed these dreams but she doesn’t know why. She couldn’t explain it if anyone were to ask the importance of it. She just felt these dreams were a part of her, and not having them felt like she was missing pieces to her true identity, whatever that was.

She began losing motivation once more, not caring about her job. Dr. Garrick seemed to notice a lapse in her behaviour and sent her home early, saying she should get some rest. The brunette almost laughed. It was ironic in a way. It was the idea rest itself that was making her so…restless. What’s the point of sleeping if she can’t dream anymore?

She began her typical trek home but with the newfound extra time, she decided to be productive this evening. Meaning, actually cooking herself a homemade meal rather than takeout and going on a jog, which she’s been neglecting for months now. It was late in the evening by the time Caitlin set out on her normal route. She set in a pair of earphones, putting her phone on shuffle. She set off into the night, unaware of the dark silhouette slowly trailing after her.

She ran through Central Park, taking a quick rest by the benches to hydrate herself but still doing stretches to keep her heart rate up. The nagging feeling in her stomach returned, this time with full force. Cold sweat formed on the nape of her neck, knowing for sure she wasn’t alone.

“Whoever is out there, I’m armed,” she called out into the distance. Of course she doesn’t have any sort of weapon on her, but the stalker didn’t have to know that. She was met with silence, only the rustle of leaves by the gentle wind met her ears.

Filling with dread and fear, Caitlin grabbed her bottle off the bench, ready to bolt only to see a tall hooded figure in front of her. She almost screamed in surprise until the hooded person pressed a gloved hand against her mouth, effectively silencing her cries. She struggled in his grasp, and kneed him in the groin. The man harshly groaned, but didn’t ease his grip. He managed to hold her captive with just one muscled arm, while the other covered her mouth.

The brunette continued to flail in his arms, trying to land a kick on the hooded man but failed. He wrapped his arm around her neck while covering her mouth with the same limb. His free hand attached an electrical-wired looking crown device securely on her head.

“Please!” Caitlin sobbed against his hand, although muffled.

He didn’t lighten up. Instead, he picked up another device, this time looking like a miniature remote. 

“Forgive me, Snow,” a gruff voice whispered in her ear, almost sounding apologetic.

_Wait, that voice._

With that, the man pressed the button, and a burst of electrical waves hit her. The last thing she saw before she collapsed was the bluest eyes she ever seen.


	4. Chapter 4

She struggled to open her eyes, as the cheap florescent lights hit her vision. She squinted and she felt nauseous. She was on a gurney, and was being pushed at an alarming rate throughout what looked like to be a hospital.

“Patient’s regained consciousness!” someone called out. Most likely one of the doctors. Another one forced apart her eyelids and flashed a light in both her eyes.

“She’s responsive!” the doctor said. A woman. English perhaps. Her voice sounded eerily familiar. She turned off the flashlight and returned her attention towards the brunette. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Caitlin Snow.” she croaked, her voice dry. It hurt to almost even speak.

“Add dehydration to the list. Set up an IV,” the English woman instructed. “Caitlin, you’re going to be alright.”

“What…happened?” she asked slowly, the pain hitting her head.

“Found you in a park, dearie. It appears that you were electrocuted.” She patiently explained.

Park? The last thing Caitlin remembered was drinking coffee on the couch at Barry’s place. How the hell did she end up at a park? The pain wracked throughout her body and she struggled to breath.

“Doctor, she’s going into shock!”

“You don’t think I can see that?” she snapped back. The sounds of machinery and doctors yelling faded into the distance as Caitlin closed her eyes and let darkness consume her once more.

* * *

Caitlin woke up with a spitting headache but the pain bearable compared to before. She tried to sit up, to get her bearings but was gently pushed back down.

“I don’t that’s wise, sweetie.” the English said gently.

“Doctor… Tina McGee?” Caitlin asked, wincing against the crappy lighting. The older woman looked at her patient with bewildered eyes.

“Indeed I am.” The doctor answered. Caitlin seemed to sag in relief.

“Where am I? How did I get here? Where’s Barry?” Caitlin croaked. Before she could reply, Tina gave her a glass of water and helped her sip through a straw. She muttered her gratitude before fully regaining her vision and getting a clear look at her. Caitlin almost frowned. While this may be Tina McGee, she seemed different. There were less bags around her eyes and her hair was cropped short, not the normal bob Caitlin was used to seeing.

“You’re here at Central City General Hospital. You were found at Central Park and you were brought here,” the doctor written down some notes on the clipboard before continuing. “As for this Barry, I’m afraid I don’t know who that is. You were alone when we found you.”

Caitlin froze. There was no way Dr. McGee could not know who Barry is.

Something was terribly wrong.

“Barry Allen. The Flash?” Caitlin tried again. She was met with questioning eyes. She started to panic. “The son of Nora and Henry Allen? Worked at STAR Labs with Dr. Wells, Cisco and I?”

Tina regarded her with skeptical eyes. “Miss Snow,” she started. “I don’t know of a _flash_. And STAR Labs is a surreptitious project ran by Dr. Wells and his wife. Now pray tell, how do you know such information?”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Barry doesn’t exist. STAR Labs doesn’t exist. Harrison Wells was _married._

_Where exactly is she?_

She could tell that the doctor was contemplating on admitting her to the Psych Ward. Not wanting to be trapped here any longer than necessary, Caitlin profusely apologized to the older woman, blaming the electrocution on her disorientation. Dr. McGee didn’t seem to believe her in the slightest, but for the sake of getting work done and patients out, she let it go. She registered Caitlin to see a psychiatrist for safety reasons, which Caitlin reluctantly agreed.

It was two days before the brunette got discharged. She managed to get a look at her files and realize that this was definitely not her earth. She lived in the same apartment, but she lived a completely different life. She wasn’t a biochemist, but rather a boring receptionist for Barry’s father. She flunked out of med school, much to her horror.

She entered the familiar apartment only to notice it wasn’t the same as her old one. It was almost barren, lacking any memorabilia. She found her room and a notebook that had been placed on her desk. She took the notebook and collapsed on the bed, slightly happy to be back in a familiar atmosphere. She opened it to realize it was almost a diary, but rather than daily events, it was dreams that this Caitlin recorded. As she read through it, she realized it she was having dreams about _her_ memories.

Every single journal entry was about an event that happened in Caitlin’s own universe. And that sort of freaked her out. She flipped to the last written page in the book.

* * *

  _05/13/16_

_Dear Journal,_

_I’m afraid this might be my last journal entry. Recently, I have been unable to dream about any more memories. And it saddens me to say that. These past two years was a gift, meeting this Barry Allen, Cisco Ramon and everyone else. Most especially Harrison Wells._

_Zoom has been defeated and the name, “Jay Garrick” has been returned to his rightful owner, a man from Earth-3. He was known as Henry Allen in this world, but in my own, he is Henry Garrick. When I inquired about this to Dr. Garrick. He said it’s his mother’s maiden named; he changed his name because it sounded simply “cool.”_

_My last dream was just relaxing on the sofa with Cisco by my side along with Wally and Iris, sipping on hot chocolate, I think. My dream wasn’t as vivid as it usual is. I remember feeling finally at peace but saddened with the lack of Jesse and Harry’s presence. Everything else is a blur._

_I wish I can remember more but I guess this it._

_For the last time,_

_Caitlin Snow_

* * *

 Now Caitlin officially freaked out. Not only she doesn’t know where the hell she is, but this other Caitlin remembered her memories. And Caitlin can’t even remember this Caitlin’s memories. She bit her lip in annoyance, a bad habit she never broke. The last thing she remembered was indeed drinking hot chocolate with everyone, like the book said. Next thing she knew, she was in a gurney in a hospital in a foreign universe. A universe where Eobard Thawne did not exist, where she wasn’t friends with team flash, no metahumans roamed around and Harrison Wells – the real one – was happily married to his not so deceased wife.

She let out a huff of frustration before rolling around in bed. Dr. McGee said she was found in a park, head electrocuted. It should’ve killed her but they found no lasting effects in her head, which surprised them. Tina told her that it seemed that whoever was the person that assaulted her knew what he was doing.

_He. It was a man,_ Caitlin thought. _Who and why would he do that to me?_

She groaned and rolled off the bed, putting on her trainers. She needed fresh air along with food that wasn’t liquid and a burger sounded appetizing right now.


	5. Chapter 5

It was late in the evening when she made her way to the plaza, hoping that there was a Big Belly Burger. When the familiar logo of a chicken appeared, Caitlin almost sagged with relief. She also thought of how both her Harrison Wells had a love for his place.

As she was about to walk in, a man wearing a black baseball cap and black jacket walked out, rudely bumping into her. She dropped her wallet and the man didn’t pick it up let alone apologize. He just walked out with his head down, pulling his hood over his head. She picked it up while muttering, “Rude bastard.”

She saw him walking down the sidewalk and for some reason, she immediately felt a shred of happiness. That man couldn’t be who she thought it was. Rude, cold, stoic and tall, she could (hopefully) recognize him anywhere. She jogged down after him, calling out his name.

“Harry!”

When he didn’t seem to respond, she called him out again. “Harry, wait!”

She raised her voice to the point where passersby shot them glances. There was no way Harry couldn’t hear her this time. The man's pace quickened and so did hers, almost breaking out into a run.

He turned into an alleyway and she sprinted after him, hoping to catch up. She was hit with bitter disappointment when she turned the corner. He was nowhere to be seen. Was the man she was so blindly chasing after really Harry? She knew Cisco closed all the breaches and his doppelganger in Earth-2 was dead, so there was no way that he could come back.

Turning on her heels to walk away, a hand shot out from the dark and pulled her back into the alleyway. The air left her chest when her back harshly impacted with the wall. The vice grip on her forearm eased significantly. He took a step back.

“Snow?” the man asked breathlessly, his azure eyes widening in the dark.

“Harry.” She breathed a sigh of relief before grinning and throwing herself into his arms. He held her just as tight as she felt the tension loosening in his shoulders. “It’s really you, isn’t it? I’m not dreaming?” she asked.

Harry chuckled. “I’m really here, Snow,” Harry assured before pulling back and looking at her with concern etched on his face. “And you’re not…the other Caitlin?”

She shook her head. “I’m not her, whoever she was.” She wrapped her arms around the man once more, not really believing he’s back. Harry didn’t seem to mind as he held her.

He pulled away from her embrace and picked up the fallen takeout bag. “We should talk somewhere a bit more secluded.”

“Does my apartment sound okay?”

He nodded. “That’ll do.”

* * *

 

Harry and Caitlin didn’t speak a word to each other on the way to her place, which was fine with her, although she missed him. It’s only been a few days in her mind but it could’ve been longer. Noticing her gaze on him, he smirked and walked closer to her, as if knowing that she missed him. She tentatively placed her hand against his arm and leaned against him. He didn’t shy away from her touch, as she expected but rather he leaned in closer.

Once they arrived, he handed her the Big Belly Burger bag as he took of his coat and boots and placed them against the wall. She went to her small kitchenette to reheat the two burgers.

“One of them is yours,” he said.

“You bought one for me?” she asked, feeling oddly touched.

“No. I usually eat two.” Harry smirked.

_Still an ass,_ Caitlin bitterly thought. They caught up in her living room, enjoying the burger and a bottle of cold beer.

“So what brings you here to Earth-1 version 2.0?” Caitlin asked, chewing on her food.

Harry swallowed his bite, covering his mouth before answering. “Is that what we’re calling it now? Earth-1 version 2.0?” She shrugged as she continued eating.

“I’m not calling this place Earth-1 because it isn’t.” she said, obnoxiously.

“Well, you’re correct in a way. It’s not Earth-1 as we remember it, but it _is_ still Earth-1.” Harry stated.

The brunette took a swig out of her beer before asking the obvious, “What happened to my earth?”

“That’s the hard part to explain,” he said before putting on his glasses.

“I’ve got all night,” Caitlin smirked before leaning forward in her chair, waiting expectantly. Harry rolled his eyes.

“I… was concerned when Ramon didn’t vibe to bother me, like he said he would.” Caitlin was about to teasingly ask if he missed them until the older man shot a glare at her to not say a word. She complied, but her eyes dancing in mirth. “I managed to rebuild that same device that Allen and I built that allowed us to close the breaches but I reprogrammed it so it can have the opposite effect.”

“To reopen the portals.” Caitlin breathed.

“Exactly.” Harry nodded before he scowled. “I return only to find out that Allen had done something incredible stupid, as usual, such as rewriting his entire damn timeline without considering the long-term effects. Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t find STAR Labs. Just a barren plot of dirt.”

Caitlin was quiet for a moment, letting what Harry sink in was true. Barry had time travelled and rewrote time. Something the he didn’t want to do when he was given the opportunity by Eobard.

“That night in the park, Dr. McGee said I was electrocuted. Was that your doing, Harry?” Caitlin didn’t seem upset, just rather curious. After all, it wasn’t exactly Caitlin who experienced the full force of it anyways.

Harry had the decency to look away in shame. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just needed to get your memories back.”

“What did you do to me exactly?”

“I made a device that is similar to Ramon’s abilities as a meta, but without the whole vibing concept. He told me that he vibed his death from an alternate universe which inspired me to make the very same device that could enable you to get your memories back from your earth and replace it with this earth’s you.” Harry explained in what seemed in one breath, his hands animated.

“So…you sent Cisco’s _vibing shocks_ to my brain, which affected the prefrontal cortex of the cerebrum, alternating my memories so I could remember my alternate self.” Caitlin asked disbelievingly.

Harry nodded. “Scientifically, yes.”

“Well, what happened… to me? To the other me?”

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “That, I don’t know. I triggered your memories from a different timeline, which is scientifically impossible –”

“Yet, you did it,” she interrupted, giving him a small smile.

“Yes, I did,” he said, almost proudly before looking grave once more, “but this was an untested experiment that showed to no possibilities of it actually succeeding. Worst possible outcome was that I ended up killing you. The best possible outcome was simply electrocuting you with a high chance of memory loss.”

“But part of you hoped that I would remember who I am.”

He nodded his head, refusing to meet her hazel eyes. “It seemed like the best option. It was my _only_ option.”

She assumed that Harry though that she would be upset at him for harming and altering her brain in any way, almost possibly killing her without consent. Instead, Caitlin beamed up at him.

“Thank you for saving me,” Caitlin smiled, before thoughtfully adding, “again.”

He looked up at her hesitantly before smirking, “Well, we’re a team, right?” 

They stared at each other, smiling, before a thought hit Caitlin.

“Could we use the same device to bring back Cisco’s and Barry’s memories?”

He looked a bit apprehensive. “It has the potential, but it was just a beta test. It worked because you weren’t a metahuman. With Ramon and Allen, they are metas and I don’t know if the frequency set on this will work on them. Metas’ cerebrum is more complicated than that.”

She looked thoughtful. “If they were to regain their memories, their previous experience in the other timeline would affect them in a physical sense is what you’re trying to say.”

“Exactly.” He nodded. “Their bodies won’t be able to handle the shock because both their parietal lobe and the temporal lobe will be adjusting to the unexpected invasion of newfound memories. Although, I assume it will be worse for Allen than Ramon tenfold.”

“Because his cells were always in a state of flux, allowing his body for a higher basal metabolic rate, faster regeneration process and significantly higher pain tolerance. So, if he would abruptly remember all the times he got a beating –”

“The lobes in his brain would react, thus acting as shock factor for the body –”

“Giving him a myocardial infarction, or in other words, a heart attack.” Caitlin finished, grinning at Harry, who bore a similar reaction as her.

“Couldn’t word it better myself, Caitlin.” Harry stated, proudness evident on his face. She beamed at him, slightly happy that he used her given name and did a mini curtsey to him while still seated. “However, there is a strong possibility that I may fail trying to upgrade this device. I’m still surprised you turned out successfully.”

“You should have more confidence in your work, Harry,” the brunette admonished.

“Oh, I am confident in my work, Snow,” he answered. “But not with theories out of my knowledge. That’s what I get for having a background in technology and not biochemistry.”

Feeling a sense of déjà vu, Caitlin flipped her hair, and looked at him smugly. “Well then, you’re lucky that I’m here.”

Recognizing those words back when he was struggling with the Velocity serum, he played along.

“You think you can help me figure it out?” He asked, his lips twitching into a smile.

She tossed him a flirty grin, as her hazel eyes flashed, rising to the challenge. “I can certainly try.”

To her surprise, Harry laughed; a deep, rich sound. She finds herself wishing he would laugh more often.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this! Kudos and comments are very much appreciated. :D


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